Gaza zoo tries to sell lion cubs fearing cost of care

RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) - A Palestinian zoo owner has put three lion cubs up for sale, fearing he won't be able to afford to feed them as they grow.

Mohammed Jomaa said Friday that many people were interested in the cubs, going for $3,500 each. However, none of the offers were serious, he added, as potential buyers share the same concern.

Instead, they bring their children to pet the two-month-old cubs at the southern Gaza zoo.

Ahmad Joma'a, a zoo worker, holds a two-month-old lion cub at the zoo in Rafah, Gaza Strip, Friday, Dec. 22, 2017. A Palestinian zoo owner has put three lion cubs for sale, fearing he won't be able to afford to feed them as they grow. (AP Photo/Adel Hana)

Most of Gaza's 2 million residents have other priorities. Poverty, unemployment and constant power shortages, coupled with the Israeli-Egyptian blockade on the territory since 2007, have stifled the economy.

International animal welfare groups have evacuated monkeys and lions, because their shelters were damaged in fighting with Israel or because their owners failed to take proper care of them.

Ahmad Joma'a, a zoo worker holds two-month-old lion cubs at the zoo in Rafah, Gaza Strip, Friday, Dec. 22, 2017. A Palestinian zoo owner has put three lion cubs for sale, fearing he won't be able to afford to feed them as they grow. (AP Photo/Adel Hana)

A Palestinian family looks at a two-month-old lion cub, at the zoo in Rafah, Gaza Strip, Friday, Dec. 22, 2017. A Palestinian zoo owner has put three lion cubs for sale, fearing he won't be able to afford to feed them as they grow. (AP Photo/Adel Hana)